One example of a conventional wireless communication game system is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2000-135380 (International Classification: A63F13/00, H04L12/28) laid-open on May 16, 2000.
In this prior art reference, people such as friends, and others, promise among themselves, for example, that they will bring a game apparatus that executes the same game, establish communication via the game apparatus, and execute a wireless communication game. In the prior art, users have no choice but to confirm verbally identification information of the game apparatus of others and information on a game name, etc., in order to know such information. Therefore, in a case where a game apparatus of unknown persons exists within a communicable range, it is realistically difficult to play the wireless communication game with that person. Therefore, in the prior art, the user cannot freely and dynamically select the game apparatus of a communicating partner.
Therefore, it is a feature of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention to provide a novel wireless communication game system, a mobile game apparatus, a child device connecting method, and a game program in a wireless communication game system.
It is another feature of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a wireless communication game system, a mobile game apparatus, a child device connecting method, a game program in a wireless communication game system capable of arbitrarily selecting a parent device which a child device intends to select.
It is still another feature of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a wireless communication game system, a mobile game apparatus, a child device connecting method and a game program in a wireless communication game system capable of freely playing a wireless communication game with the game apparatus existing within a communicable range.
A wireless communication game system according to of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention uses a plurality of mobile game apparatuses, which function as a parent device or a child device and are capable of wireless communication with each other. The parent device includes broadcasting circuitry for broadcasting a parent device packet including user's own apparatus identifying information for allowing a user's own apparatus to be identified and game identifying information for allowing a game executed by the user's own apparatus to be identified. The child device includes a receiver, a display, a selector, and a connection request transmitter. The receiver receives the parent device packet from the parent device existing within a communicable range. The display displays a parent device list of the parent device existing within a communicable range, based on the parent device packet received by the receiver. The selector allows a player to select any one of the parent devices included in the parent device list. The connection request transmitter transmits a connection request toward the parent device selected by the selector.
More specifically, the wireless communication game system is formed using at least two mobile game apparatuses (10: corresponding reference numeral in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments described below in this embodiment. A mobile game apparatus (10) in the embodiment includes a mobile game machine (12), and a wireless communication unit (14) attached to the mobile game machine. In a case of the parent device, the mobile game apparatus uses this mobile communication unit (14) so as to broadcast a parent device packet in a first time slot, and receives a child device packet in a second time slot. In a case of the child device, the mobile game apparatus receives the parent device packet in the first time slot, and transmits the child device packet toward the parent device in the second time slot.
The broadcasting circuitry corresponds to steps S2003 and S2009 of a transmission/reception process of the parent device shown in FIG. 29 in the embodiment, and broadcasts the parent device packet including a parent device number PID as the user's own apparatus identifying information, and a game name GameName as game identifying information.
In addition, the child device receives the above-described parent device packet by the receiver shown in a step S4001 in FIG. 32 of the embodiment. Based on this parent device packet, in a step S15 in FIG. 20, for example, the parent device list is created, and in a step S23 or a step S25 in FIG. 20, the parent device list is displayed on an LCD (18).
A user of the child device looks at a game name in the parent device list, for example, and operates a cross key of an operation key (38) forming a selector in steps of S79 and S151 in FIG. 21 so as to select one desired parent device from the parent device list. Then, a step S83 in FIG. 24, that is, a connecting process of the child device in FIG. 30 and FIG. 31 is executed. By means of a connection request transmitter that corresponds to a step S3023 (FIG. 31) transmitting a child device number CID of the user's own apparatus to an E slot, the connection request is transmitted toward the parent device.
Therefore, this allows the child device to arbitrarily determine whether to connect to any one of the parent devices displayed in the parent device list created from the parent device packet.
In a certain embodiment, the broadcasting circuitry broadcasts the parent device packet even during a time that a communication game is being executed with another child device. This, more specifically, corresponds to FIG. 29, and the child device is capable of obtaining information (PID, game name, and etc.) in the parent device executing the wireless communication game. This allows the child device to know the existence of the parent device associated with the child device that intends to make a new participation, for example, so that it is possible to participate in the middle of the game play.
In another embodiment, the parent device and the child device are apparatus for making a wireless communication in a predetermined communication cycle. The communication cycle includes a first time slot used by the parent device, and a second time slot used by the child device. The broadcasting circuitry transmits the parent device packet including game data in the first time slot. That is, the first time slot is a parent device slot, and the second time slot is a child device slot. Furthermore, the broadcasting circuitry broadcasts the parent device packet including payload data shown in FIG. 11 (step S2003). Therefore, the parent device always broadcasts the parent device packet, thus the child device is capable of obtaining the latest information on all parent devices existing within a communicable range.
In a certain embodiment, the display displays in the parent device list only the parent device that executes a game communicable with the game executed by the user's own apparatus, based on the game identifying information received by the receiver. In a case that the game apparatus is an apparatus to which a game cartridge storing a game program is detachably attached, for example, the display displays in the parent device list the parent device only when the game of the game cartridge attached to the parent device is communicable with the game of the game cartridge attached to the child device. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, only the parent device capable of executing the game communicable with the user's own apparatus is displayed in the parent device list. Therefore, by means of a display of the parent device executing a game not communicable with the user's own apparatus being omitted, it becomes easy for a player of the child device to select the parent device.
In another embodiment, the child device is an apparatus to which a game cartridge storing a game program is detachably attached. The display displays in the parent device list a parent device that executes a game not communicable with the game of the game cartridge currently attached thereto. More specifically, the game cartridge corresponds to a cartridge 16 shown in FIG. 1, and the cartridge 16 stores a game program within a ROM 42. Therefore, the game program cannot execute other game programs. However, even in a case that the cartridge currently attached is a cartridge not communicable with the parent device, it becomes communicable if changed to another cartridge. Thus, by displaying the parent device currently not communicable, it becomes possible to encourage to change the cartridge.
In still another embodiment, the parent device packet further includes entry reception data showing whether or not to receive a new entry of the child device. The display displays in the parent device list only the parent device that receives the new entry of the child device, based on the entry reception data received by the receiver. More specifically, the entry reception data corresponds to data other than “ffh” of the E slot, and therefore, the child device displays the parent device that sets the data other than “ffh” in the E slot of the parent device packet as shown in FIG. 3 in a step S23 or S25 (FIG. 20). Therefore, by displaying only the parent device that receives the new entry of the child device, wasted information (information on the parent device not communicable) of the parent device is omitted, thus allowing a player of the child device to easily select the parent device.
In yet another embodiment, the parent device further comprises a child device-use program storage locations for storing a child device-use program, and a child device-use program transmitter for transmitting, in response to a connection request from the child device (the child device is an apparatus to which the game cartridge is detachably attached, for example, and in response to a request from the child device to which the game cartridge is not attached), the child device-use program to the child device. The parent device packet further includes child device-use program holding data showing whether or not it is being provided with the child device-use program storage locations. In a case of showing that the child device-use program holding data is provided with the child device-use program, the display displays in the parent device list the parent device irrespective of the game, which is executed by the user's own apparatus, based on the child device-use program holding data received by the receiver. More specifically, the child device-use program storage locations corresponds to an area 76 in FIG. 16, and the child device-use program is transferred from the parent device to the child device in a step S77 in FIG. 19 (receiving process of the child device is a step S145 in FIG. 26). Therefore, the child device activates the child device-use program, and is capable of playing a game in that OC mode. Herein, in this embodiment, the parent device having the child device-use program holding data (in the embodiment, OC flag) “1” is displayed as shown in FIG. 5. That is, the parent device stores not only a user's own apparatus (for the parent device) program but also the child device-use program, and transmits the program to the child device since the child device receives and executes that program, it is not necessary to have a game program on the child device side. In addition, since the child device is capable of knowing the parent device capable of playing the OC-mode-use game, it is possible to easily play the game even if the cartridge is not attached.
In addition, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the parent device stores both a first program not requiring the child device to transmit the child device-use program, and a second program requiring the child device to transmit the child device-use program. The parent device packet further includes execution type data showing which program, the first program or the second program, the parent device executes. Regarding the parent device executing the first program, the display displays in the parent device list only the parent device that executes a game communicable with the game executed by the user's own apparatus, based on the execution type data received by the receiver, and regarding the parent device executing the second program, displays in the parent device list irrespective of the game, which is executed by the user's own apparatus. More specifically, a cartridge 16 shown in FIG. 16 is attached to the parent device, and this cartridge stores both the first program (normal mode game program), and the second program (OC mode-use game program), and the execution type data showing which is executing, the first program or the second program, that is, “1” or “0” indicated by an OC flag in the embodiment, is transmitted to the parent device packet. Therefore, regarding the parent device having the OC flag “1”, the child device displays only the parent device communicable with the parent device, and regarding the parent device having the OC flag “0”, all parent devices are displayed irrespective of the game, which is executed by the user's own apparatus. That is, only the information of the parent device communicable with the parent device or in a state capable of transmitting the child device-use program (second program is being executed) is displayed so that wasted information on the parent device (information on the parent device not communicable, and etc.) is omitted. This allows a player to easily select the parent device.
In an exemplary embodiment, the child device is an apparatus to which a game cartridge storing a game program is detachably attached. The display displays, in a case where the game cartridge is not attached, in the parent device list only the parent device provided with the child device-use program storage locations, based on the child device-use program holding data received by the receiver. Similar to an above-described embodiment, only the parent device holding the OC-mode-use game program is displayed. Therefore, in a case where the game cartridge is not attached, the child device displays only the information on the parent device capable of transmitting the child device-use program. This allows a player using the child device to easily select the parent device.
In still another embodiment, the present invention further comprises: parent device list storage locations for storing a parent device list of the parent device existing within a communicable range, based on the parent device packet received by the receiver; and a parent device list clearing mechanism for regularly clearing the parent device list stored in the parent device list storage locations. The display displays based in the parent device list stored in the parent device list storage locations. More specifically, the parent device list is displayed based on the parent device list storage locations (which corresponds to a parent device list area 80 in FIG. 18), and the parent device list is regularly cleared using a parent device list clear timer 82 (FIG. 18), for example. This excludes the parent device beyond the communicable range, and enables surely informing a user or a player of the only parent device existing within a communicable range of the child device at that time.
A child device connecting method in a wireless communication game system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a child device connecting method in the wireless communication game system using a plurality of mobile game apparatuses that function as a parent device or a child device capable of communicating with each other, and includes following steps of (a) broadcasting from the parent device a parent device packet including user's own apparatus identifying information for allowing the user's own apparatus to be identified, and game identifying information for allowing a game executed by the user's own apparatus to be identified, (b) receiving in the child device the parent device packet from the parent device existing within a communicable range, (c) displaying in the child device a parent device list of the parent device existing within a communicable range, based on the parent device packet received by the receiving step, (d) allowing in the child device a player to select any one of the parent devices included in the parent device list, and (e) transmitting in the child device a connection request toward the selected parent device.
A program of a wireless communication game system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a program of a wireless communication game system using a plurality of mobile game apparatuses that function as a parent device or a child device capable of communicating with each other, and allows a processor of the mobile game apparatus to execute following steps: (a) allowing the processor of the parent device to broadcast a parent device packet including user's own apparatus identifying information for identifying the user's own apparatus, and game identifying information for allowing a game executed by the user's own apparatus to be identified, (b) allowing the processor of the child device to receive the parent device packet from the parent device existing within a communicable range, (c) allowing the processor of the child device to display a parent device list of the parent device existing within a communicable range, based on the parent device packet received by the step (b), (d) allowing the processor of the child device to make a player select any one of the parent devices included in the parent device list, and (e) allowing the processor of the child device to transmit a connection request toward the selected parent device.
A mobile game apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention uses a plurality of mobile game apparatuses, any one of which functions as a parent device, and the other of which functions as a child device, both capable of playing a wireless communication game. This mobile game apparatus comprises: broadcasting circuitry, for the parent device (for functioning as the parent device), for broadcasting a parent device packet including user's own apparatus identifying information for allowing the user's own apparatus to be identified, and game identifying information for allowing a game executed by the user's own apparatus to be identified; a receiver; a display; a selector; and a transmitter, for the child device (for functioning as the child device). The receiver receives the parent device packet from the parent device existing within a communicable range. The display displays a parent device list of the parent device existing within a communicable range, based on the parent device packet received by the receiver. The selector allows a player to select any one of the parent devices included in the parent device list. The transmitter transmits a connection request toward the selected parent device.
In the child device connecting method, the program, the mobile game apparatus, similar to the wireless communication game system, it has an advantage that the child device is capable of knowing the parent device existing within a communicable range, and easily selecting and connecting a desired parent device.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, since the parent device broadcasts the parent device information, it is possible that the child device knows what kind of parent devices exist within a communicable range (that is, it is possible to know the parent device capable of playing a communication game). In addition, the child device is capable of arbitrarily determining which parent device to connect.
In a case of a wireless communication game, the mobile game apparatus is freely carried, and therefore, the mobile game apparatus existing within a communicable range progressively changes. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, however, it is possible to know information on the mobile game apparatus existing within a communicable range. This makes it possible to freely determine an intended partner with whom to play the wireless communication game.
In addition, there is a case that an apparatus of a unknown stranger comes into a communicable range. In this case, too, it is possible to know the information, thus making it possible to play the wireless communication game with the unknown stranger.
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.